The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-04
man that ever beat in love and sym
nafhy with mine"

man that ever beat in love and SYM
pathy with mine"
s.Ah," he continued, ''you look sur
prised. One does not suppose any ro-
nance can be shrined beneath the SOU
i tame of village cure; and, perhaps, to
look 81 NE, appear the very last man
to have had drama of SO terrible a
kind in my life. Yet, 1 am told, they
made very good play of it at one OF
the boulevard theaters in Paris. The
world had the comedy, the tragedy was
for me. 1t was just, quite just. My
story? o, common one. He was my
friend, and she, the lovely woman, was
his wife. We had both paid court to
her, but he had won her. He was
richer than I, and in France, you know,
that is the first consideration of parents
in giving their daughter. Well, though
l loved her with all my heart, when she
became his wife Twas loyal to her as to
him, as gentleman and his friend.
Of course l sought her society-it was
natural, was it not. that should do so?
Ill-advised, o, Enthusiastically sees
that better than do now. But swear,
if swear might. that my loyalty to
him and to her never, even in thought,
wavered an instant. The world, the
wicked world, thought otherwise; and
wicked tongues went wagging. He
was my best friend, and l loved him
like brother-and all the more dearly
that he was her husband. Yet how
could l act otherwise than l did
when one day, urged on by these
wicked tongues, he rushed UP to me
on the boulevard and struck me in
the face, calling me liar, traitor, cow
ard? 1t was done in the eyes of Paris.
and was hot-bloOded in those days.
1t was provocation, challenge, which
1 was forced, as thought then, to ac-
cept. We fought next morning in the
Bots deS Vincennes. 1t was an acct
dent-yes, that thrust of mine was an
accident shall always say so. He
ran upon my point. l could not help
| myself. But o, the horror of that mo-
ment! The artist who painted that
portrait was one of those who took nv
Paul home. He told me that she looked
| thus when she saw him rs l made him.
As for me. l went for many months a
crazed man. think it was my great
uncle. the Bishop of T., who first s,g-
gested to me that. if any atonement for
my crime there could be, it would be in
the devotion and service of lifetime.
took his advice, for was weary of the
! world. passed through the ordeal of the
! noviciate, and was ordained. My uncle
gave me this presbytere, and here /
have lived and worked for thirty years.
humbly. obscurely. and penitently. l
have not atOned-nO. no. have not
atoned; but sometimes think that Paul
knows all now, and-and. perhaps. has
forgiven me. In ever saw her again.
never heard of her. Is she dead?
Did she marry again? Did she, as
some say she intended to do, retire to
convent? do not know. l have
never ceased to love her, as did then,
Loyalty and devoutly; not as the woman
had wanted to marry, but as the wife
of my friend, as my dear Paul's wife"
said nothing. 1 felt sorry now to
have called forth this confession. The
quiet despair of this old man as he told
me the misery of his ruined life was a
poignant sorrow to the eye and to the
ear. When he had finished speaking
he sat with his hand covering his eyes.
fancy there were tears in them. We
were sitting thus in silence in the dark
ening room when the little maid came
running in.
Monsieur lie Cure, Monsieur lie
Cure! she cried, ''come quickly!
Cid Bette is dying. She calls for you"
80! do not say that" cried the Cure.
starting to his feet. do not say that.
My old Bette! My faithful old servant!
No. it can not be that after twenty years
of loyal service and sacrifice l am to
lose her now"
1T is very certain. nor PEREZ" said
the trembling girl. ''that old Bette is
dying. She says so herself, and can
see that she is right, for she looks just
like Ia mere Manon did before she died.
And she begs Monsieur lie Cure to come
to her without delay"
Il come, 1 come!' cried the old man
in tones Of the deepest anguish. "But
= doctor, Jeanette, the doctor! Run
for him. o that is useless, of course.
He lives ten miles away. What shall
we doe What will become of us?"
II have studied medicine" said.
81 may be able to be of some assist
ance. If Monster lie Cure will permit,
i"
"Come, comel'' he cried, clutching
me by the arm. 1T is the blessing of
Providence. Is there any thing you
want? 1t is disease of the heart. No
then come. But first, Jeanette. run
upstairs and see whether monsieur
can enter"
The girl had turned to obey when
through the silence of the house there
rung the awful notes of dying
woman's voice.
"Raoul. Raoul! where are you? Je
me meurs, mon ami.
1t was the voice of high-born lady.
For what reason know not turned
towari the picture. 1t seemed the cry
that should come from those lips. The
Cure had started like man who is sud-
denly stabbed.
Mon Dieu, mon Dieu!' he cried.
'WhOse voice is that?''
And with this cry he turned toward
the picture.